Azkaban Reformed
by AzkabanWarden
Summary: Azkaban Prison has always housed the ministry's worst criminals, but even it has changed with the times. In a time of progress long ago, Azkaban is not immune. How will the historic and infamous prison fare with it's first female inmate, and what do the Squib guards think about the new Dementor experiment in maximum security?


Chapter 1

"Everything in order?" Warden Howlsend asked, his eyes squinted, but focused on the dark stone landing pad being battered by the heavy storm, and crashing waves from the everlasting storm that surrounded Azkaban prison.

Officer Williams joined him, yelling over the storm. "Triple checked all the cell doors, crisis team and fire team are on standby, got four of the boys ready to escort each o' them in case they separate." The younger man had to stop to take a breath, and shake off some of the rain that buffeted his poncho. "And like you asked I put Carrow in interrogation."

"Make sure the galley is ready to deliver dinner to the inmate's cells in case our guests stay," the warden directed, unfaltered by the storm. "How was carrow?"

"Nasty as ever, still thinks she'll scare us into releasing her...like they all do at first" Williams joked, trying to step out of the rain that had pooled in his boots. "Think I'd be used to being out here by now."

"Not having tower watches may be the best perk of being warden," Howlsend replied, scanning the sky. "I'll make sure Crouch makes her famous beef stew after our _guest_ leave."

"Hate these inspections, would be easier if they just surrendered their wands-"

"To even suggest it is nigh on blasphemy son. They'd never hand over a wand to one of us," explained Warden Howlsend, securing his cap that had been blown loose. "That's why all shifts are on duty right now, if even one imate got their hands...well. We are ever Vigilant."

"Damn straight sir."

Williams wondered why the Warden always insisted on greeting Members of the ministry before they entered the prison, even with their heavy rain gear the magical storm found a way of soaking them to the bone. Even the smell of the ocean that had climbed into every orifice of the prison, could not find its way to a nose through the wind.

The inspections, which were few and far between were the most dangerous days on the job. The prisoners which were the country's nastiest and most vile, outnumbered them, but they were clueless without their wands. Simple tasks that had always been done with a wave of a hand now eluded them. The magic they relied on had made them weak, while not having it had made the guards strong.

"There!" pointed out the Warden, and Williams followed his gaze to a gap in the storm. A floating bubble where the rain and wind would not go. The void in the storm turned, divings towards the platform, and at its center two robed figures on broomsticks.

"See, not that long of a journey, kind of enjoyable and makes you appreciate apparition," said the first to land. The voice and figure was recognizable as Thomas Dawlish, the Auror. The most common and frequent visitor to the prison. He usually just dropped off or picked up prisoners on the platform, rarely coming inside. Warden Howlsend marched across the long walkway to greet them at the platform. Williams followed, ducking behind his superior officer to avoid the brutality of the storm.

"So this is it? Impressive."

"Is that a woman's voice?" Williams asked, looking out to see the other guests. This one was unknown to him.

"Welcome to Azkaban, let's get you-"

Dawlish interrupted the warden. "Agh Oliviaria this is Warden Holwsend," he said, introducing his guest to the warden. "The ol' man in charge."

"Ofcourse, I know your brother Clavius quite well, he is making quite the name for himself in the Ministry. I did not know he had a brother," Oliviaria said, shaking the Warden's hand.

"There is a sister too, she works for a muggle hospital," boasted Howlsend.

Williams was happy to be in the Wizards bubble, where the only rain was what dripped from his and the warden's long coats. Dawlish didn't glance at him, but the other guest gave him a nod, which he returned with a smile. The spitting and foul mouthed Carrow was the only woman he had seen in the last four months of his tour, so it was hard for him to not be enthralled by the young and smiling Oliviaria.

"Oliviaria here, is quite fascinated by our imprisonment practices, talking about something called ree-form around the department. In fact she is the one who wrote the new experiment for the maximum security ward."

"She's the one that brought in them demons?" Williams gasped, closing his mouth when he saw the brimstone in the Warden's eyes.

"Not demons. They are called dementors, and how are they faring?" she asked, taking the Warden's invitation to walk towards the dark prison that emerged from the ocean like a knife.

"You can be honest Howlsend, the whole thing is experimental," Dawlish suggested, noticing the older man's silence. The rain avoided them as they walked towards the prison's entrance. Dawlish pointed out the guards who watched them from murder holes that were the only gaps in the stone of this corner.

"To be honest ma'am, it's a bit unsettling. My men down there need shorter shifts, and the inmates...have you heard of the muggle saying: cruel and unusual?"

"No I don't believe I have? The same muggles that sought to burn us at stakes warden?"

"Your dementors, they make the whole ward...the inmates don't like them."

"Isn't that a good sign?" Dawlish asked, laughing. " It is prison after all. Besides this whole thing is because of the rumors of you squibs beating up the wizards with fake wands."

Warden Howlsend took a deep breath.

"They are not fake wands." He moved aside his poncho to show the two wizards the billy club on his belt, and motioned for Williams to do the same. "They are standard issue, and there are no beatings! That situation was in response to a riot where-

"Beating someone with a stick, now that is a barbaric practice Warden," Dawlish said, ignoring the guards at the entrance gate. Oliviaria's eyes lingered on the sign asking for wands to be turned over, but she followed Dawlish's lead and ignored it.

"Warden we are not here to reopen old investigations, I am just here to check on how the dementor experiment is working. Do they get along with the other guards?

"Do they get-"

The warden's eyes stopped Williams from finishing his sentence, this time delivering a look that penetrated the guards soul, letting him know that he dared not open his mouth again. The prison bells rang, and the gate dragged to the side, as the two armed guards stationed there eavesdropped on the conversation, also unable to take their confused eyes off the witch visitor.

"The dementors and my men do not get along...as of yet, nor do the chocolate rations really make a difference. The pair seem too happy focusing on the inmates to really interact with the guards in maximum."

"Well I am glad that they find the situation suitable, and I look forward to checking in with them," Oliviaria said, realizing that there would be no coat check for her broom or jacket at the entrance. She sighed, folding up the dry jacket over her arm, analyzing every detail of the prison.

"This it is...the lectric city?" Oliviaria asked.

"Muggle technology." Dawlish groaned.

"Electricity, yes," Howlsend answered. "The whole prison is wired, provides for much smoother running than back when I started."

"We'll have to trust you on that," Dawlish said, already bored with the visit.

"Fascinating," Oliviaria added. "In my notes I saw that you modeled it after muggle prisons?"

"Had to obliviate a whole bunch of muggles after that. Had them think that they were on a tropical vacation," Dawlish bragged.

"Well worth it," the warden added.

"So you say."

"And where did you learn such things as these Holwsend?" she asked, staring into a lightbulb.

"School."

"School..what school did you go to?" Oliviaria asked, her curiosity now on the warden.

"We attend muggle schools."

"Muggle schools really? That is fascinating, what is that like?" Oliviaria asked, while Dawlish laughed.

"There was a learning curve, but insightful."

"Amazing, I had never thought about it before."

"Couldn't go to school with us could they?" Dawlish joked.

"Well I see no reason to dawdle, can you take me to the maximum security ward, I would very much like to see how things are proceeding," Oliviaria directed, knowing that the warden had to do whatever she asked. Dawlish had made that very clear to her.

"Also we'll want to have a talk with Carrow before we leave," Dawlish ordered, not noticing the knowing glance that the Warden gave to his officer.

"I will of course have that arranged."

"And how is the prison doing with her?" Oliviaria asked, fascinated with the subject once she heard the infamous name.

"Emptied out the minor infraction ward for her, don't want the thought of a woman riling up the other inmates," the warden explained. "I also plan on hiring a few female guards now that we are _housing women_."

"There was no other place to put her ol'man. Times are changing, women being sent to Azkaban, new muggle technology," Dawlish complained. "Female Aurors."

Oliviaria's eyes twitched at the last one, making Officer Williams take his hat off and rub his head. The warden didn't move, looking between both of them, not really absorbing what they were saying, but making note of where their wands were tucked. Dawlish's on his right hip, and Oliviaria's on the inside of her left sleeve. If one of the many murderous inmates got their hands on either wand, even for a second, he wasn't sure if the practiced procedures, lockdown protocols and armed guards would be of any use.

"Please remember to keep your wands away from the inmates and cell doors, and make sure to stay outside of the yellow lines at all times," Howlsend explained, wishing that they would just turn in the wands for their short trip.

"Yellow lines?" Oliviaria asked.

"It's how far they can reach through the bars," the warden explained, acknowledging the eight man armed escort that would be accompanying them.

"Azkaban prison has the wizarding world's worst of the worst, violent, deranged, criminally insane. Do be careful." The warden said, nodding for the last gate of the entranceway to open, revealing a long blackstone tunnel, where the light bulbs fought a losing battle to keep the corner's lit, while sound seemed to know enough to stay silent.


End file.
